Discernment (Insight)

Discernment

I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes. Psalm 119:125 NIV

The value of discernment is embarrassingly underrated in today’s circles. If we lack discernment how can we know if we are heading in the right direction or befriending the right person or even responding in a good way for our benefit?

The American Heritage Dictionary has this to say about the word of discernment:

1. The act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgment.

2. Keenness of insight and judgment.

In Corinthians 12:10 The gift of discerning of spirits is named among the other gifts. There are those who know what spirit is working in a life, how and why.

Here is what Strong’s says about the word:

Strong's Concordance

epignósis: recognition, knowledge

Original Word: ἐπίγνωσις, εως, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: epignósis
Phonetic Spelling: (ep-ig'-no-sis)
Short Definition: knowledge, discernment, recognition
Definition: knowledge of a particular point (directed towards a particular object); perception, discernment, recognition, intuition.

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 1922 epígnōsis (from 1909 /epí, "on, fitting" which intensifies 1108 /gnṓsis, "knowledge gained through first-hand relationship") – properly, "contact-knowledge" that is appropriate ("apt, fitting") to first-hand, experiential knowing. This is defined by the individual context. See 1921 (epignōskō).

I believe the Part of Speech is Feminine because there are so many different kinds of discernment.

Finally, one last thing about the interpretation of this word is what the Lexicon says:

“Precise and correct knowledge.”  As in Colossians 1:9 “ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you, and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

It is “KNOWING.” Discernment also comes through intuition but never assuming. Discernment is insight but has the wisdom not to judge.

Spiritually speaking, I firmly believe that God wants us to understand what He is saying in our hearts. He will use who and what He chooses to speak to us, so that we can receive what His Spirit is saying in these days. Our part is to take the time to listen to The Holy Spirit. If you are born again and have chosen to grow in your walk, you will know His voice.  

There are different kinds of discernment such as when a person has spiritual discernment they might specialize in the Biblical history of the flood as the subject may have been easy for them to understand and able to piece it all together to give to others. Other discernments may be given through insight of the prophetic times, to another counseling, teaching and so on. We can have discernment in anything.

Many sharp-sters [example: Sharktank on television] in the world who are self made millionaires are able to see and discern when a wanna-be entrepreneur is going in the wrong direction. The wanna-be lacks the experience and knowledge of those who have already gone through the trials of red-tape, taking 3 steps back, reading the fine print again and rehashing; to re-learn about the ordeal as many times as it takes. The challenge of discernment takes time, determination and patience.  Sharp-sters will not give up and do not allow themselves to stay down; in spite of their mountainous path. This is because they are developing discernment. The more mistakes they make, the more they learn and the more determination is accumulated for their next test.

The very same thing applies to a spiritual walk in Jesus Christ. In the beginning you walk like a baby toddler, sort of wobbly and the baby falls. He might cry a little bit, but he always gets back up and starts his wobbly walk again. The baby does not give up. He learns that if he tries to go too fast, he will fall. If he is given a cup before he can handle it, the liquid will be splashed all over him and his chair and ending up on the floor.  The youngster is learning discernment, even at that young age.

Farmers have discernment of good and bad soil. They know if they plant seed in bad soil, there won’t be much of a crop. They know that if they do not milk the cows twice a day, the cows will be in pain. And, they know that if they do not keep their barns clean, disease could come and harm their livestock. Everyone has different kinds of discernment according with what they have learned in their life. The real discernment in a farmer’s life would be the test of what to do when there is a drought? What to do when there is too much rain?

We understand that discernment comes through study (knowledge), experience (life’s trials of the things we have gone through) and intuition. We ask God to give us discernment for a particular area or problem in our life. He will give it to us, but we are not to sit still and wait for it to fall from the sky. We always have our part in the procedure.   The Bible talks about how after we have done all, stand. Eph. 6:13 

God honors a faith followed by action. He honors a hope that is given by love and a heart for God. When we store up His knowledge in our hearts, we meditate on what we have learned and the process becomes a discerning of the heart. When we need the answers to a problem, we are able to pull up the solutions from our storehouse.

People can receive as much from God as they desire. When we draw close to Him, He draws close to us. When we pray for wisdom, He will give it to us. As we draw closer to God, we are praying and studying and activating what we have learned. The more you study, the more God will give you. The more you use what He gives you, the more will be returned to you. And oh how the joy abounds!

Just as there are different areas of discernment there are given different portions of discernment. One may have a cup of insight and never use what has been given to him, whereas another may only have a half cup of insight and use what has been given to him; spreading his knowledge around to those who are hungry. Who of the two do you think has received more insight? The second one, because he has chosen to use what was given him and everyone knows we cannot out give Jehovah.

Are you in need of discernment? Pray and ask God for it and seek for it in the Bible. Seek out godly counselors who have impeccable reputations to give you advice and listen carefully and trust God to lead you all the way.